Parents of motorcyclist Jonathan Taylor who died in York crash warn others not to take drugs and drive (From York Press)

Parents of motorcyclist Jonathan Taylor who died in York crash warn others not to take drugs and drive

10:31am Friday 18th December 2009

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THE heartbroken parents of a motorcyclist who died in a crash after smoking cannabis today pleaded with others to learn from his mistake.

John and Janet Taylor spoke out after an inquest heard their son, Jonathan, was found to have significant quantities of the drug in his blood, following the accident on the A64 near York.

The inquest was told the drug could cause altered perceptions and relaxation, and David Liddell, assistant deputy coroner for York, said Mr Taylor’s use of it had been a significant contributory factor in his death.

The hearing came as North Yorkshire Police officers are focusing on drug-drivers as much as drink-drivers during their Christmas campaign, and as a national review starts examining whether new laws against drug-driving are needed.

The Taylors, from Selby, said their son had been riding for 20 years, and was always a careful driver – knowing that waiting at home were his children.

“He was not a drinker, but today we learnt that on that tragic night he had been smoking cannabis,” they said.

“We will not hold our heads in shame. He was our son. We loved him very much.

“But we want people out there, and there are thousands, to learn from his mistake. Don’t drink-drive. Don’t drug-drive.

“We are coming to the festive season. Our grandchildren will not have their daddy to give them a hug, a kiss and presents.”

The York inquest was told that Mr Taylor, 37, from Sherburn-in-Elmet, lost control of his Suzuki machine on the A64 dual carriageway near Grimston Bar while driving back from a 60th birthday party at Strensall in September last year.

He died of head injuries after striking a post on the central reservation barrier.

Penelope Nolan, who rode as a pillion passenger but survived the accident, said she saw a white van pull in front of them in the outside lane just before the crash. “He came across straight in front of us.”

She said Mr Taylor had braked in response. “If that van hadn’t pulled out, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you now,” she said.

However, Traffic Constable Stephen Kirkbright, who investigated the crash, said such a van had never been traced in spite of extensive efforts by police, and he could find no evidence of the motorbike colliding with the van, or of sharp braking.

Mr Liddell, recording a verdict of accidental death, said toxicology tests had indicated “quite high” levels of cannabis in Mr Taylor’s blood.

‘Safe’ roadside test for drugs needed

THE man leading a review of Britain’s drink and drug driving laws said today he wanted to discover whether a “safe and unchallengable” roadside test for drug-driving could be introduced.

Sir Peter North was recently asked by Transport Secretary Lord Adonis to examine whether new legislation was needed to tackle both drink-driving and drug-driving.

He told The Press there was currently an offence of driving under the influence of drugs, but there were difficulties in enforcing such a law without any equivalent to the roadside breathalyser test for alcohol.

He said police had first to be suspicious of a drivers’ behaviour, then arrest the driver and take them back to the police station, and then call in a doctor to test samples for the presence of drugs. All this could take time, during which time levels of the drug could have fallen.

Sir Peter, a lawyer and former vice-chancellor of Oxford University, said Mr Taylor’s inquest was illustrative of the drug driving problem, and he would be contacting the coroner’s representative organisation for their views.

A recent YouGov survey showed that more than nine out of ten people would support drug testing at the roadside, while three percent admitted to having driven under the influence of drugs.

How does cannabis affect the ability to drive?

THE road safety charity Brake says cannabis slows reaction, affects concentration, gives a sedative-like effect, resulting in fatigue, and affects co-ordination.

A spokeswoman said that about 18 per cent of people killed in road crashes had traces of illegal drugs in their blood, with cannabis being the most common.

Research in France has shown that drivers who have taken even small quantities of cannabis almost double their risk of being involved in a fatal road accident.

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